IPEDS
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey is an essential, nationwide survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education. It collects detailed information on U.S. colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions, providing data on various aspects such as enrollment, graduation rates, degrees awarded, faculty, finances, and student demographics. IPEDS is central to the federal government’s understanding of higher education and plays a key role in informing education policies and funding.
Why IPEDS is Important for All Institutions
For institutions like UTRGV, participating in IPEDS is crucial for several reasons:
- Federal Compliance: Institutions that participate in federal student financial aid programs are required by law to submit data to IPEDS. This includes nearly all degree-granting institutions in the U.S.
- Data Transparency: IPEDS ensures that data about higher education institutions is collected consistently, allowing comparisons across institutions. The data is publicly available, making institutions transparent to students, parents, policymakers, and researchers.
- Benchmarking and Accountability: Institutions can use IPEDS data to benchmark themselves against peer institutions, track their own progress over time, and make data-driven decisions.
- Carnegie Classifications: The data submitted through IPEDS feeds directly into the Carnegie Classification framework. This is critical for UTRGV because Carnegie Classifications are widely used to rank institutions and categorize them based on their research activity, degree production, and academic program offerings.
How the IPEDS Survey is Submitted
- Data Submission Cycles: IPEDS data is collected in three cycles throughout the year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each cycle focuses on different areas, such as enrollment and financial aid in the fall, human resources in the winter, and financial and degree completions data in the spring.
- Submission Process: Institutions submit their data electronically through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. Each institution has a designated Keyholder, who manages data submissions and ensures accuracy. Data is validated by IPEDS for consistency before it is published.
- Institutional Responsibility: While most submissions are mandatory for institutions participating in federal financial aid programs, some institutions may submit additional, voluntary data to enhance their profiles.
Who is Expected to Submit IPEDS Data
All institutions that participate in federal student financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act must submit IPEDS data. This includes public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions that offer postsecondary degrees or certificates. Institutions are categorized by their highest level of offering, such as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, or by specific vocational/technical training.
The IPEDS Survey in Detail
The IPEDS survey is divided into several key sections, each focusing on different aspects of the institution:
- Institutional Characteristics: Basic information about the institution, including type, control, and accreditation.
- Completions: Data on the number and types of degrees and certificates awarded, categorized by field of study.
- Enrollment: Enrollment statistics broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, and level of study.
- Graduation Rates: Tracks the progress and graduation rates of student cohorts, which is critical for understanding student success.
- Financial Aid: Data on student financial aid, including the percentage of students receiving aid and the average amount awarded.
- Human Resources: Information on staff and faculty, including employment status, tenure, and salaries.
- Finance: Data on institutional finances, including revenues, expenses, and endowments.
Connection to Carnegie Classifications
The Carnegie Classification system uses IPEDS data extensively to categorize institutions based on characteristics such as research activity, degree production, and enrollment size. Here’s how IPEDS data directly influences Carnegie Classifications:
- Research Activity and Doctoral Production: Carnegie’s research classifications (R1, R2, etc.) are influenced by doctoral degree production and research expenditures. IPEDS data on degrees awarded and finance sections help Carnegie assess research intensity.
- Enrollment Profiles: The IPEDS enrollment data contributes to understanding the diversity and scale of student populations, which factors into the Carnegie Basic Classifications.
- Degree Production and Academic Offerings: Carnegie uses IPEDS completions data to classify institutions by the types of degrees they award (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral) and the mix of fields offered.
Why IPEDS Submission is Urgent for UTRGV
For UTRGV, submitting complete and accurate IPEDS data is not only a federal requirement but also essential for achieving and maintaining a competitive position in national rankings. Since Carnegie classifications are widely referenced in academia, government funding, and even by prospective students and faculty, maintaining an accurate profile in IPEDS can have long-term effects on UTRGV’s reputation and funding opportunities. Proper submission of IPEDS data will:
- Support UTRGV’s goal to elevate its Carnegie Classification, potentially achieving R1 or R2 status, which reflects high research activity.
- Influence policy decisions, funding allocations, and educational grants that UTRGV may receive.
- Provide prospective students and faculty with transparent, reliable information about UTRGV’s offerings, helping the university attract talent and grow its research enterprise.
In summary, the IPEDS survey is a vital tool for UTRGV to monitor its growth, enhance its institutional profile, and compete on a national level. Through timely and accurate data submission, UTRGV can actively work towards its goal of improving its Carnegie Classification and securing its standing as a leading research institution.
User Manual: IPEDS
Filters and Slicers:
- Year: Allows users to select a specific year to compare institutions.
- State, City: Enables filtering by geographical location to view relevant institutions.
- Institution Name: Selects specific institutions for direct comparison with UTRGV.
- Overall Percent Groups: Selects the comparison range (+/-5%, +/-10%, +/-20%) based on enrollment and degree counts.
- Doctoral Award Level: Allows filtering by types of doctoral degrees, such as Research Doctoral or Professional Doctoral.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Displays UTRGV’s metrics alongside comparable institutions based on specified ranges and doctoral award levels.
Cards:
- # of Institutions: Shows the count of institutions within the selected range.
- Percent Groups Table: Summarizes the number of institutions with similar metrics, categorized by degree type.
Visuals:
- Scatter Plot: Displays a plot comparing graduate enrollment against doctoral degrees awarded for institutions similar to UTRGV.
- Comparison Table: Lists institutions and details their graduate enrollment, degrees awarded, and other relevant metrics, enabling detailed peer analysis.
Overall Functionality: This tab provides a comprehensive comparison of UTRGV with similar institutions based on selected ranges and attributes, offering insights into where UTRGV stands among peers in terms of graduate enrollment and degree awards.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution Name: Enables filtering by year, location, and institution for focused comparison.
- Overall Quintile: Filters institutions based on performance quintiles.
- Degree Award Group: Allows selection of institutions by degree type group.
- Degree Field: Focuses the view on specific fields of research degrees.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Total research degrees awarded by UTRGV for selected years.
Visuals:
- Bubble Chart: Shows the number of research degrees awarded by year, with color coding for each year.
- Comparison Table: Displays detailed information on research degrees awarded, degree fields, and quintiles.
Overall Functionality: This tab allows users to track and compare research degree awards over time, enabling insights into UTRGV’s performance in research outputs.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution Name: Filters for location, institution, and specific years.
- Degree Award Level: Filters by degree award level for focused analysis.
Visuals:
- Bar Chart: Shows the count of degrees awarded by award level.
- Pie Chart: Breaks down the degrees awarded by degree title for quick visual assessment.
- Table: Lists each degree awarded, with details on CIP Code and title.
Overall Functionality: The page provides a profile view of degree awards, helping users understand the distribution of different degrees awarded by UTRGV and compare it with selected institutions.
Filters and Slicers:
- State, City, Institution, Degree Award Level: Allows users to filter results by specific institution attributes and degree award levels.
Visuals:
- Line Chart: Depicts the trend of degrees awarded over time by UTRGV.
- Stacked Bar Chart: Shows the percentage distribution of each degree level awarded by year.
- Table: Lists degree titles with awarded counts over the years.
Overall Functionality: This tab provides a historical perspective on UTRGV’s degree awards, allowing users to analyze trends and growth in awarded degrees over time.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution Name: Filters for specific geographic and institutional insights.
- Groups by Expenditures: Allows categorization of institutions by expenditure groups.
Visuals:
- Map: Displays a geographical distribution of graduate enrollment across institutions.
- Table: Lists institutions and their corresponding graduate enrollment counts.
Overall Functionality: The tab visualizes geographic enrollment patterns, helping users assess the regional distribution of graduate enrollments and UTRGV’s standing among peers.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution Name: Filters to customize the profile view by location and institution.
Visuals:
- Bar Chart: Shows the number of students by enrollment level (full-time/part-time).
- Donut Chart: Displays enrollment by gender.
- Pie Chart: Visualizes the racial/ethnicity breakdown of enrolled students.
- Table: Lists detailed enrollment data by race, gender, and enrollment level.
Overall Functionality: This profile page provides a detailed snapshot of graduate student demographics, enabling an understanding of enrollment diversity at UTRGV.
Filters and Slicers:
- State, City, Institution, Enrollment Level: Filters results by institution attributes and enrollment level.
Visuals:
- Line Charts: Show enrollment trends over time for full-time and part-time students, gender, and ethnicity.
- Stacked Bar Chart: Highlights the yearly proportion of enrollment by level.
Overall Functionality: The tab illustrates trends in graduate enrollment by various demographics, helping users observe changes over time.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution, Award Level: Filters to refine the displayed degree awarded data.
Visuals:
- Table: Lists each degree awarded by year, institution, CIP Code, and title, with options for exporting the data.
Overall Functionality: This page provides granular details on degrees awarded, allowing users to explore and download data for detailed analysis.
Filters and Slicers:
- Year, State, City, Institution, Enrollment Level: Filters to focus on specific enrollment details.
Visuals:
- Table: Provides extensive details on graduate enrollment across institutions, including total counts and categories.
Overall Functionality: The tab delivers comprehensive data on graduate enrollment, supporting in-depth data exploration and export.
Filters and Slicers:
- Term: Allows users to search for specific terms or codes.
Visuals:
- Table: Defines terms, codes, and descriptions related to the data on previous pages.
Overall Functionality: This reference page provides a glossary for understanding the terminology and codes used across the dashboard, ensuring clarity for all users.